Overview

To preserve network bandwidth or if storing archives on users' devices conflicts with your organization's security policy, you can disable computer-to-computer backup for all users or a specific organization. This tutorial explains how to control whether computer-to-computer backups are allowed in Code42 for Enterprise.

Before you begin

If you want to disable computer-to-computer backups, determine if any users have configured backups to computer destinations. Additional steps are required to disable computer-to-computer backups that are already configured.

Computer-to-computer backups are no longer supported
Computer-to-computer backups could only be initiated in Code42 app version 4.x, which is no longer supported. In addition:

Computer-to-computer backups continue when version 4.x Code42 apps are upgraded to version 5.x, but can only be managed via the administration console, not the Code42 app.

Code42 app version 6.x completely removes support for computer-to-computer backups (backups do not continue, but you can follow the steps below to remove existing archives).

Computer-to-computer backup settings

There are two settings that control users' ability to back up to other computers.

The Account devices destination setting either offers or revokes the ability to see other computers on the same account.

Accept inbound backups allows the creation of new computer-to-computer backups.

Interaction between backup settings

The combination of these two settings gives several options when selecting the settings for your Code42 environment.

Offered Account devices destination

Revoked Account devices destination

Accept inbound backup enabled

Users can create computer-to-computer backups.

Already created backups will continue, but no new backups can be created.

Accept inbound backup disabled and unlocked

Users can create computer-to-computer backups.

Already created backups will continue, but no new backups can be created.

Accept inbound backup disabled and locked

All computer-to-computer backups are stopped and archives are deleted. Users can see other computers on their account, but cannot back up to them.

All computer-to-computer backups are stopped and archives are deleted. Users cannot see other computers on their account.

Recommended combinations of backup settings

To avoid ambiguity, we recommend using one of the following combinations of backup settings.

To allow all computer-to-computer backup, leave the computer-to-computer backup settings at the defaults:

Account devices destination offered

Accept inbound backups disabled and unlocked

To deny all computer-to-computer backup, change the default settings to:

Account devices destination not offered

Accept inbound backups disabled and locked

Offer or revoke account device destinations

When the Account devices destination is offered in the administration console, users can see the Destinations > Computers screen within the Code42 app. Disabling the setting removes the option for new computer-to-computer backups system wide, or by organization.

Disable existing computer-to-computer backups

The Accept inbound backups option in Backup Settings can prevent configuring new computer-to-computer backups system wide, by organization, or by device. Disable and lock Accept inbound backups in the administration console to disable existing computer-to-computer backups and remove the archives.

Device-specific inbound backup
You can disable inbound backup for a specific device by navigating to Devices, then selecting the device you want to disable. Go to action menu > Edit to deselect Accept inbound backups.

Unlock and relock settings
When you update existing, locked settings, you must unlock and relock the settings to apply them to existing archives. If you don't, new files will follow the new settings, but existing archives are not affected.

Unlock and relock settings
When you update existing, locked settings, you must unlock and relock the settings to apply them to existing archives. If you don't, new files will follow the new settings, but existing archives are not affected.